Congressman Kevin Brady holds a press conference Tuesday afternoon after leading a meeting held by local congressional delegates, CEO's and top officials of local, national and international drilling companies to discuss the Obama Administration's efforts to shut down all offshore drilling in the Gulf Coast and the effect that this would have on the job market along the Gulf Coast. Tuesday, July 6, 2010, in Houston. ( John Jiles / Chronicle )

Photo By Manuel Balce Ceneta/STF

House Budget Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. watches at left as Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas gestures during a news conference on the GOP budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, March 29, 2012.

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WASHINGTON - Houston has become a bastion of Republican congressional fundraising, with GOP House candidates raising more than 17 times as much campaign cash from area donors as their Democratic counterparts in the first three months of 2013.

Houston wasn't the only big-dollar center turning its back on Democrats. Republicans, who represent 24 of the state's 36 congressional districts, also trounced Democrats in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, $801,000 to $138,000. Democrats reported zero congressional contributions in the Panhandle, the High Plains and Deep East Texas.

Border good to Dems

The only section of the state dominated by Democrats was along the Texas-Mexico border region, where the party raised nearly $197,000 to $9,500 for Republicans.

The top Houston-area fundraisers were Republican Reps. Bill Flores of Bryan, with $253,000, and Kevin Brady of The Woodlands, with $132,000. The state's most prolific fundraiser was Republican Jeb Hensarling of Dallas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, with $617,000. The leading Democrat was freshman Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine, who represents the only politically competitive congressional district in the state.

Flores' contributions included what may be the final federal contribution by the late Houston real-estate magnate Bob Perry, who gave the retired Houston energy executive $1,000 on March 14, about a month before he died.

"I'm proud to be a person that he would support - whether first, last or middle," Flores said. "He will be fondly remembered as one of the integral folks in transforming the state from 'blue' to 'red.' "

Wide range of sources

Texas lawmakers received their donations from a wide range of sources - and locations. Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee raised 100 percent of her campaign cash from Texas donors, the only member of the Texas delegation to rely exclusively on local contributors. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Tyler Republican, received 88 percent of his contributions from Texans.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Houston Democrat Gene Green raised less than 12 percent of his meager $36,000 haul from the Lone Star State.